The four misconceptions you are most likely to have about creativity at work

You’ve probably worked hard to make your office efficient and effective; but you might be worried about the steady decline in motivation, engagement and commitment you notice as your people becomes more and more familiar with your processes. You don’t want to lose the people you’ve worked so hard to find, and you definitely don’t want to have to go through that time-consuming – and expensive – recruitment-cycle again.

But making your people want to stay in your team might be easier than you think. All you have to do is examine your own preconceptions about creativity. You might discover that most of them are misconceptions too, but that might be a good starting point for you to bring some simple techniques to your office culture that could invigorate your working life.

Below are the four misconceptions you are most likely to have about creativity. See how many challenge you because you disagree or just because they just make you think twice.

Four: Nothing is new

Every creative idea that anyone has ever had is just an existing idea that they’ve reworked in a new and more useful way. Take fire, for example. Nature created fire. All our ancestors had to do was learn how to control it. The law of your Universe is that nothing can be created or destroyed, so why should your ideas be any different? You don’t have to be original to be creative. You just have to take control of what’s already there. Start becoming more observant of the world around you. At some point, something is going to spark with something else, and an idea is going to catch fire. Make sure you’re the one who’s there when it happens.

Three: More minds are better than one

Everyone who has achieved something innovative has done so with help from many other people. Take survival, for example. Our ancestors lived under staggeringly harsh conditions but they created ways to survive by learning how to co-operate. The law of your society is that many heads come up with more ideas than one. Start involving your team in generating new ideas and don’t be afraid to expect them to become more creative in their contributions. Your people will become more motivated and engaged without you having to lift a finger.

Two: Creativity is a process too

Creativity isn’t an event. It’s a process you can learn and apply. Take product development, for example. Companies that develop and sell products have processes that enable their people to come up with the goods and market them to their customers. The law of innovation is balance. An idea without a process to bring it to market is as meaningless as a process without an idea to bring to market. Find out what a creative process entails and integrate it into your working life. Then reap the benefits of seeing more engagement in your team.

One: Creativity ideas doesn’t have to be big

Being creative is one of the defining characteristics of being human. It stands alongside walking, using your hands and talking, perhaps in more than one language. Take your perception, for example. Everyone learns how to make sense of the world from someone else, but everyone has the power to change their own minds. A century ago, people believed women couldn’t vote. Today, the biggest challenge the last two American presidents faced in their campaigns was from an experienced female politician who challenged them to the limit. Creativity doesn’t have to be big. It can be as small as changing your mind – and just as easily in reach.

Still think you can’t be more creative in your office? Still think creativity doesn’t have a place in your process? If you’d like to know what creativity is, how the creative process works, and how to make your team more creative, then call Shyrose Jessa at Shyrose@centre4learning.co.uk to talk about how we can help you to bring more vitality to your day-to-day working life.

Recent SDF Tweets

RT @TimJBlackman This book rocks, I recommend it! Full of insight: craft is at the centre of learning, it’s normal to be different but we don’t teach that way, we’re distracted by talent but ability doesn’t predict achievement, we’re born to learn and to care, we multiply each other’s abilities. twitter.com/alexfbea…

When was the last time that you had the time and space to stand back and take a good look at your purpose, department, or the way in which you perform your role? It was very likely some time ago that you gave yourself this luxury. We invite you join us on the south coast to take a breath of fresh air and to stand back and develop some super-vision on your own practice. Come...

Contact Details

Disclaimer

All adverts displayed on the SDF website are paid for advertising. Appearance of these adverts does not indicate endorsement of such goods/services by the SDF.
The SDF accepts no liability for the quality of goods and/or services advertised.